Judicial Selection in the States: Colorado
Overview
Two judicial performance commissions organized by the state have evaluated judges in Pitkin, Eagle, and Garfield counties and are recommending that five local judges be...
A set of tables that provide detailed information about selection...
The Colorado judiciary is composed of a supreme court, a court of appeals, a district court, and various trial courts of limited jurisdiction. Under Colorado's original constitution, judges were elected by the people, but in 1966, voters approved a constitutional initiative calling for merit selection of judges. Under Colorado's merit selection system, judges are appointed by the governor from a list of nominees submitted by a judicial nominating commission, and judges stand for retention at least two years after their appointment. In 1988, the Colorado general assembly created judicial performance commissions throughout the state to provide voters with information about the performance of judicial retention candidates.